In This Heart
by Sweetdeath04
Summary: HBP Spoilers! All the missing moments from the end of OotP to the end of HBP that study Tonks and Remus's growing relationship. Guaranteed humour, romance, angst and action! Sorry about the rubbish summary!
1. Waking, Attempting to Visit and

Disclaimer: You know the drill. Not mine, I just like using the characters for my own evil means!

**A.N. **_I was on holidays when HBP came out and I got it at midnight, sat on a hotel bed with a pillow to laugh in and scream in when necessary so I didn't wake all the residents. Only stopped reading twice, once to stop my dad snoring and once for a potty break. And ever since I finished it at 7.10am on Saturday the 16th I've been thinking about this ever since!_

_If anyone here knows what I write, they'll know I'm a major Ron/Hermione shipper and that's about it! Well Nymphadora (that name cracks me up! I love it!) and Remus are too perfect so I MUST write about them before everyone else has done all possible! _

**In this Heart**

**Waking, Attempting to Visit and Obscene Amounts of Coffee**

To be perfectly honest, Nymphadora Tonks thought she was dead. How could anyone feel so much pain and be alive? But then, people said pain was a way of telling that you _were_ alive. Maybe she was burning in Hell, she thought. That would hurt.

She let out a pitiful moan. Thinking made her head hurt!

"Nympha?" a voice beside her asked hopefully.

Cracking an eye open Tonks saw a blurry vision of Andromeda Tonks- a very tired looking Andromeda Tonks at that- her mother sitting in an uncomfortable hospital chair nursing a cold cup of coffee in a disposable cup. Well, that solved the mystery of where she was.

"Wotcher Mum," Tonks croaked, voice hoarse. Rubbing her eyes she studied her mother. Andromeda did indeed look exhausted and drawn but tears of joy were trickling down her already stained face.

The youngest Tonks tried to sit up but to no avail as the pain that wracked her body increased ten fold. Lying back again she surveyed the room. It was privet; no doubt the Order had made sure of that. She wrinkled her nose in distaste at the colour of the walls. White, all very boring. The place was littered with coffee cups and stank of their contents. Her father Ted Tonks was sitting sleeping in a chair, one of the offending items balancing precariously on his knee. Andromeda shook him awake.

"Wha-?" The cup toppled and the brown liquid spilled over his robes and the tiled floor below.

Swearing under his breath he stood up, whipped out his wand and cleaned his robes with the muttering of a spell. Andromeda tugged gently on him and gestured to the bed where his daughter was grinning at him. He started at the sight of her awake and slipped on the wet floor as he tried to make his way over to her. Ted landed hard on the floor with a _thump _on his rump. This made his daughter laugh and his wife shake her head woefully.

Grinning at his little girl he asked, "How are you feeling Sweetheart?" She raised her eyebrows at him. "Stupid question, I get it," he pulled himself off the floor.

Andromeda launched into explanation on what had happened, anticipating her offspring's questions. "Albus Dumbledore told us that you had been hurt during _business_," she emphasised the word. She now knew all about the Order but was wise enough not to mention it in a public building, "but he wasn't able to tell us what had really _happened_. It was Remus Lupin who told us the entire story." She took a deep breath. "Was Bellatrix _really_ the one who- who hurt you?" She watched her expectantly for an answer.

Tonks closed her eyes. Remus told them? Well, at least he was alive, hopefully unhurt. But who else was in the same condition? As for her, yes, she knew it was her Auntie Bella who had left her in this sorry state, but she was aware that her mother was clinging onto a thread of hope that her sister could be redeemed from her evil ways.

"Yes, it was Bellatrix Lestrange." Tonks had never been one for tact. Her mother gasped and she heard her father let out something resembling a growl. Now she asked her own questions. "What about the others? Did everyone get out alive?"

Opening her eyes again she caught her parents exchange a nervous look with mournful faces. Not good, screamed a voice in her head.

"Nymphadora…" began Ted. Definitely not a good sign. He never called her by her name. It was always 'Sweetheart' or 'Love'.

Tonks braced herself for the worse.

…

Remus Lupin strode down the corridors of St. Mungo's looking like a man with a mission. Each of the three days since the incident in the Ministry of Magic he had walked up to the fourth floor of the hospital. Why?

Nymphadora Tonks. The name spelt trouble, usually because the young woman behind it was so clumsy and was always tripping over her own feet. But not this time, this time Tonks had been admitted to the Spell Damage ward because the _incident _had been a lethal fight.

This time yesterday Tonks had still been unconscious, her parents by her bedside, watching their only daughters every breath. Now Remus knew the way to the privet room, he didn't even need to stop and ask what number it was.

Turning the final corner he approached Room 86657 he noticed the door lay ajar. Peeking in, he saw a man throwing coffee cups into a bin hovering beside him while he waved his wand, stripping the bed and muttered something about not getting a pay rise.

"What's going on?" Remus's voice had gone strangely hoarse and his heart pounded painfully against his chest.

The man turned round and said gruffly, "What does it look like? I'm having a tea party? Well, a coffee party," he dropped another cup into the bin.

"But Tonks? The girl who was in this room before, where is she?"

The cleaner grinned maliciously at Remus's obvious distress. "How should I know? Probably kicked the bucket, so to speak, just like everyone else!"

It was a rare occurrence when Lupin wanted to punch someone so badly. Now was one of those times. Striding out of the room he broke into a run. Almost sending an old woman flying as he darted down the stairs, he received several angry glares or remarks, but they brushed off him.

By the time he had reached the help desk he was out of breath.

"Yes sir, how can I help you?" The young witch was blond, filing her nails, reading a magazine on beauty tips and was wearing a fluorescent pink blouse that almost blinded poor Remus. Looking up at the panting man who was wild with terror she said with a falsely kind voice, "Okay sir, let's get you back to the mental ward."

She tried taking his arm and leading him away but he shrugged her off babbling, "Room 86657- Spell Damage- Nymphadora Tonks- What? Where?"

Thinking for a moment on why this man was having a mid-life crisis and listening to his almost incoherent ramblings helped the witch get the gist of what was going on. She let go of him and searched for the Metamorphmagus. "Tonks… Tonks… ah! Here we go!"

Remus was drumming his fingers on the desk expectantly. "Well…?"

The woman sighed and snapped, "Privet Room 65 on the fourth floor. When you get up the stairs go to the end of the first corridor on your left then turn right. Fifth door down. Can't miss it."

Calling out his thanks, Remus Lupin once again strode through St. Mungo's like a man on a mission.

**A.N.** _Wow I'm lazy! I was gonna include the visit and everything, but I like short chapters. It means I don't loose the plot half way through!_

_Well, please review! I actually have a plot and there will be humour, romance and angst in other chapters, so please, press that little purple button in the left corner at the bottom of the screen and tell me your thoughts!_

_**Sweetdeath04**_


	2. Survivors Guilt

Disclaimer: Same old. I don't own it; it's all JKR's.

**A.N. **_I am utterly amazed at the response this fic has got! It's a great boost for moral!_

_Guess what! I'm one today! A year ago today I uploaded the first chapter to my fanfiction '_**Night Time Tortures**_' which was the first fanfic that I ever wrote on my own! So, care to tell me if I've improved any since then?_

_In fact I'd have probably updated last week had I not been on Duke of Ed practice. That included setting frying pans on fire!_

_So thanks for all the reviews from you guys!_

**S-S Shipper: **_I loved putting in Lupin's mid-life crisis in chapter one! He's so much fun! This is defiantly my new favourite ship! Thanks for the review and I hope you like this chapter!_

**ultra-violet-catastrophy: **_Excuse me? Remus is the best? What happened to your beloved Draco? LOL! Thanks for the review! I'll be sure to be at karate on Tuesday! Thanks and enjoy!_

**Ladyphoenixquill: **_Sentence structure, eh? That's one I haven't heard about before! I'll be sure to take a look! Thanks! Tell me what you think of it in this chappie! Thanks for the review!_

**Blue Eyes At Night: **_Yep! They are so incredibly cute! Thanks for the review and tell me what you think of this chapter!_

**suckr4romance: **_I'm so glad to see these two together! I'm also glad to see you reviewing! It's nice to see a name I recognise! Thanks for the review!_

**KrazyShadowNinja: **_GO YOU! YOU PUSHED THE BUTTON! MWAHAHAHA! Well, I'm updating so you can push the button again! Thanks and enjoy!_

**bee: **_Thank-you! Thank-you very much! (does Elvis pose) Thanks for the review!_

**Sparkle: **_Ah, interesting starts are always the best! Hopefully I can keep the rest interesting too! Thanks so much!_

**nycgrl: **_Thanks! Ted is so cool! Well, that's my views on him anyway! And Andromeda is my favourite out of the Black Girls (shortly followed by Bella) so I had to put them in! Lupin is so sweet! Thanks!_

**Moonlitesadness: **_I've said it before and I'll say it again; I love Lupin's mid-life crisis! Kicked the bucket- such a nice way to put things! Thanks for the review and I hope this chapter pleases you!_

**& that would be me…: **_I'm updating! LOL! I'll try not to let you down! Trust me; I'll keep this up if only for that reason! Thanks so much!_

**Rubine Goslay: **_Thank-you! The fact that Tonks was attacked by her own flesh and blood is a fact that I find disgustingly intriguing! Bella certainly is my favourite bad-girl! Thanks for the review!_

**delumacar:**_ I hope this is soon enough! Thanks!_

**AbitheuUnited: **_Thanks! I'm glad you think it's interesting! Thanks, enjoy and please review!_

**MistyRiver: **_Hey! You reviewed Sabacc! Thanks for two things. One: for teaching me how to spell, including the word 'private'! Two: for reviewing!_

**xanya-forever: **_What you put in your review got the point that you like this across, and that makes me happy! Don't you dare die of tiredness! I need you to read and review! Thanks! P.S. You don't need an excuse to read HBP again. I've done so several times since I got it!_

_Thanks guys!_

**Survivors Guilt **

Remus had reached the third floor when he saw someone he recognised. Two someone's as a matter of fact. Ted and Andromeda Tonks, both looking happier than when he had last saw them, but that wasn't saying much.

"Remus!" Ted called out jovially. His face split into a wide grin. "Back again, eh? Should I be worried about your intentions towards my daughter?" He winked, telling Remus that he was joking, but Moony's heart gave a little flutter.

"Ted, Andie! Good to see you!" Observing them, Andie looked tired but the light had returned to her eyes. Ted was now back to his usual joking self. "How is she?" It was obvious who he was talking about.

Andie sighed. "She's alive and kicking but… she's upset about Sir- _him_," she said this while blinking back her own tears quickly. "I think she'd like to talk to you- you know, could you tell her what happened?"

A lump rose in Remus's throat. Not trusting himself to speak, he nodded. Ted rested a hand on his shoulder. "I think she'd like to see you, whether you could tell her or not," the older mans voice was gentle and Remus was thankful for it. He nodded again.

Andromeda took his hand, squeezing it. "Remus, I can't thank you enough for what you've done."

Giving her a confused look, he found his voice. "Uh… What have I done?" He asked awkwardly.

Andie smiled as she spoke, "You've been there for her," she gestured up the stairs, "and you've been a good friend- to all of us."

"Oh, uh, you're welcome."

Ted grinned, "Well Remus, we'd best be letting you get on. We'll see you around?"

"Yeah, see you later." It was as he walked up the final flight of stairs that he realised that he had been acting like a nervous school boy.

…

This time, Remus walked straight on in. Tonks was lying on the bed staring at the ceiling looking as pale as she had been when she was unconscious. Tears spilled down her cheeks.

"Hello Sleeping Beauty," he greeted her, wondering why his face felt hot.

Turning her head to the side, Tonks blinked and rubbed her face then replied with a forced cheerfulness, "Wotcher Remus!"

As he took a seat next to the bed she struggled into a sitting position. Surveying her for a moment or so, he took in the smoky grey eyes, filled with a pain he had never seen in them before and the mousey brown hair that she had apparently inherited from her father.

There was an excruciatingly long silence between the two. Lupin waited for Tonks to make the first move.

"Remus…"

"Yes?"

Tonks sighed then asked, "So, how are you?"

Cracking a grin Moony replied, "Well, I'm not the one lying in a hospital bed 'Dora." It also posed as the same question that she had asked, and he knew she would understand.

'Dora' muttered something about infuriating men and horrendous nicknames for a fleeting moment but a ghost of a smile appeared on her face. Then she said warmly, "I'll survive thanks."

They lapsed into another agonising silence. Neither could make eye contact. The smile on Tonks' face melted away.

"How?" It was she who spoke and she did so with a voice unlike her own, so distressed was it.

During their silences Remus had pondered how exactly he was to answer the question when it arose, but it seemed that the string of words formulated in his mind had Apparated out the window.

"Um… well, after you were taken out," he struggled to remember the exact occurrence of the events that had resulted in Sirius's death, "Sirius- he jumped right up and started fighting Bellatrix Lestrange." At this Tonks let out an audible groan. "He- he fought well, but- but she cornered him." By now Remus was struggling to keep his voice level and was stumbling over his words. "She threw a curse at him-"

Tonks cut him off. "Avada Kedavra? I swear, I'll Avada Kedavra her!" The words were spoken with such hatred yet such compassion, Lupin hesitated before continuing.

"No- I don't know what it was, but-" he prepared for the worst, "but it knocked him through that veil, the one that-"

She finished the sentence for him, "The one the separates life and death." Tonks' voice was hollow and she stared straight ahead with large blank eyes, her face impassive.

He had expected her to cry, to shout, to scream curses about how unfair it was, to ask why he hadn't stopped it happening; nothing could have prepared him for the next four words that came out of her mouth.

"It was my fault."

It took several moments for the blunt statement to sink in. When it did he stared at her in horror. How could she say such a thing? He must have heard it wrong!

"_What!_"

Her face was still blank but emotion had returned to her voice. She sounded disgusted with herself and amazed that she could have let it happen. "It's my fault he's-" dead didn't seem to be just right. She couldn't comprehend with that yet. "Gone," she finished off dejectedly.

Remus would have found the absurdity of the sentence hilarious had the person who was 'gone' not been his best friend. "How- how do you work _that_ out!" he stuttered in disbelief.

Tonks, who had been staring at the wall determinedly and fiddling with the bed sheet, turned to look at her friend and partner who became blurry in what vision she maintained as her eyes filled with tears for what felt like the thousandth time since she had been informed of her cousin's death.

"I was fighting _her,_" her voice was filled with contempt as she referred to her Aunt. "I'm an _Auror_! I'm supposed to defeat Dark Wizards and Witches and lock them up in Azkaban! Not get half killed by them! Not let others be killed by them! It's my _job_ and I **_failed_**!" By the time she had finished her rant her voice was raised, however not overly so. Tears of grief mingled with tears of anger as they cascaded down her cheeks. Instinct led Remus to brush them away with his hand.

It was here and now in St Mungo's that Nymphadora Tonks broke down, grieving for her cousin and friend. Her head fit neatly into the crook of Moony's neck where it rested on his shoulder. Her hands grasped his fraying robes, clutching them as if for dear life and through her wracked sobs she breathed in their familiar, comforting, musky smell.

Remus hugged her gently; the gesture itself told his crying companion that it wasn't unbecoming of an Auror to pour out her troubles on an old friend every now and then.

'_Yeah Moony,' _the saner part of his brain sneered. _'Old! That's what you are! And her? She's young and full of life! What are you? A poor decrepit Werewolf!'_

Shutting that piece of terribly truthful information away he resorted to comforting his friend.

**A.N.**_ Righty-oh! What did you think? Rather morbid there at the end but I'm sure that there's going to be some humour involved in the next chapter! I'd give you a teaser but that means having to figure out the exact wording of a whole new chappie!_

_Anyway, please review!_

_**Sweetdeath04**_


	3. A Change of Scene

Disclaimer: JKR is a genius. I am not.

**A.N. **_I know I've only done two chapters of this fic but I love writing it! I have one certain thing planned for the middle of this fic which I can't wait to write… just in case someone reads my mind and steals it! _

_Thanks for the reviews! Very much appreciated! I'm gonna try and get over eighty for this, 'cause that's the most I've ever got for one fic!_

**Jamie Love: **_Thanks! Glad to hear you like it!_

**Commander Zucchini: **_I have no idea how much I'm going to write. Originally it was going to be a thing about five chapters long but it might reach up to fifteen for all I know! I'm glad you like it! Thanks!_

**S-S Shipper: **_Tonks is all bubbly again in this chapter... but that could soon change! I love Remus's meating with Ted and Andie. Ted's the greatest to write! Thanks for your review! What would I do without you? Probably not write very much... Thanks!_

**ThisDay: **_AH! Like reading JKR's you say? And I have 'an obvious aptitude_ _for writing'? That's probably the nicest thing anyone's ever said to me! (sniff) Thank you so much! Hope you like this chapter!_

**maddie: **_Well, that's the reason this fic was written. I wanted to know what happened to Tonks and Remus so I decided I'd work it out myself! I'd like a name like Nymphadora too... but I'd probably get people to call me by my last name, just like Tonks! So glad you like it! Thanks!_

**TrinityDD:**_ Great minds think alike! That was one of my favourite lines and I was hoping someone would mention it! Ted and Andromeda are the greatest to write! I always imagined Andie being the fretting mother type- who wouldn't be if you had to look after Tonks! When I was writing the coffee cup scene, strangely enough, I had a picture in my mind of Ted sitting in the middle of a messy room with Nymphadora, playing with dolls and getting her to change her face to match them! Then Andie is standing at the door looking at them exasperatedly. I agree, it makes me annoyed when people say Ted's a Muggle! And the fact that people forget about Tonk's parent at St Mungo's is just wrong! I could talk forever about this but I have a fanfic to be getting on with! Your reviews are a joy! Thanks!_

**xanya-forever: **_Good to see you're not dead! Ah! POA and HBP are my favourites! Tonks parents are the best! If you read the reply I wrote to TrinityDD you'll see what I think of them! Thanks so much for your encouragement. Enjoy!_

**KrazieShadowNinja: **_LOL! You never fail to make me laugh! We're all permitted to be hyper! And I'd like to see your crazy victory dance! So go on! R&R! You know you want to! Thanks!_

**Blue Eyes At Night: **_LOL! 'Father's can SMELL the intentions men have for their daughters from a mile_ _away!' That is too true! If only dear Ted realised how close to the truth he is... Thanks!_

**MistyRiver: **_Woot! You wouldn't like to doa drawing for this fic? Would you? Thanks!_

**suckr4romance: **_The saner part of Remus's brain belongs in a mental home, as we will soon find out! Well, I hope this chapter has quality and quantity :)! Thanks!_

**A Change of Scene**

Tonks had been pacing her room in St. Mungo's for about an hour. Her mother had stopped in for a few minutes before going to work. Andromeda had helped her pack the small bag of clothes, toiletries, presents and cards. This turned out to be quite a chore for even the most skilled magical packer as there was simply not enough room for all the get-well gifts she had received in the rucksack.

In fact, Tonks noticed as she crushed all the cards into the bag, the entire Order had signed a card that was readable for only her. Healers who had come poking their noses in where they didn't belong had all commented on the- blindingly colourful seemed like an understatement- card from her boyfriend, as that was how it had read to them. It had taken a few moments for the confused Tonks to realise that it had been charmed!

She had spent a particularly boring afternoon wondering how on earth the Order had persuaded Snape to sign. While the rest of them had written in brightly coloured, flashing ink, _dear_ Severus had written in a dull, boring black.

But she had laughed at the names of her friends which had succeeded in their job at cheering her up. Their twinkling reminded her of the electric fairy lights that Muggles put on their Christmas Trees. When she had visited her Granny Tonks at Christmas when she was little, she had morphed her hair to match the rapidly changing bulbs.

The magical force required for the morphing had eventually interfered with the electrical currant and fused all the bulbs. Not that _that _incident stopped her repeating the performance the following year!

Her father, however, had not taken so lightly to the card. For him too, it read like a message from a mysterious lover. It had taken a considerable amount of time to convince Ted that she was single- for the mean time!

Tiring of her constant pacing the now boringly dull room, Tonks stared at her reflection in the small mirror, which was completely inadequate for full-body morphing. Her hair was a violent shade of turquoise and shoulder-length. Frowning, she screwed up her eyes and let it change at its own will. Opening her eyes once more she stared at the bright pink, spiky hair.

That was how _he_ liked it.

Who was _he_? Sirius, she told herself.

'_Remus_,' muttered her subconscious.

She compromised by deciding on both.

_What_ was with her sudden obsession with Remus? That was, if you could really call it an obsession. He was a good friend of hers and of Sirius's. He had mourned with her, consoled her and reassured her during the week that she had been awake.

That was it. Full stop.

"Ready, Tonks?" A gruff voice barked from behind her.

Jumping a foot in the air and spinning around to find the person whose voice box had vibrated to create the noise, Tonks almost fell over her own feet.

"Merlin! Mad-Eye! I've been in here long enough already! I don't want to be stuck in this place for_ another_ week because you've given me a heart attack!" She clutched her heart melodramatically.

Moody's scarred mouth twisted upwards into a smile. "What floor do I take you for illness due to shock?" Then he added the only two words that were missing. "_Constant vigilance!"_

Tonks grabbed her backpack and swung it over as she glowered at him. "How should I know? I've been confined to this," she gestured to the white-walled room that they were in, "since I woke up! I need a change of scenery!"

Her companion shook his head wearily at her and beckoned for her to move. "Will you come _now_? Or should I leave you here until we get back from the station?"

Within moments, Mad-Eye's wooden leg was heard clunking down the hall at a ferocious rate and his voice calling out, "Tonks! Wait for me lass!"

…

Before entering Muggle London, Moody pulled out his bowler hat from somewhere inside his rather voluminous cloak. Tonks whipped it off his head playfully as he drew it down over his magical eye.

"Why do you wear this thing Mad-Eye?" Twirling it expertly between her fingers, she morphed into a female version of Alastor Moody- minus magical eye and wooden leg. She at a fleeting idea that if she morphed into giving herself one leg she'd have even more trouble at keeping balanced than she already did.

Moody's normal eye widened to its greatest extent at seeing himself wearing a purple Weird Sisters t-shirt and patched jeans.

Within moments the normal, or as normal as you got, Tonks was back with pink hair and all. Fixing it carefully on the man's head she strode off again calling back over her shoulder, "Come on Moody! We're going to be late!"

Moody's shocked mutters about the 'childishness of Aurors today' were drowned out by the childish Auror in question letting out a laugh followed by, "Constant vigilance and all that! Eh?"

…

By the time they had arrived at Kings Cross the pair had received quite a few funny stares which had nothing to do with Moody's sinister hat. Tonks had quite adamantly refused to change her hair colour to anything that might be considered less luminous.

"Wotcher Remus, Arthur, Molly, George, Fred!" Tonks greeted everyone she recognised in list formation, in one breath.

Molly jumped at the chance to inspect her, criticise St Mungo's food and basically just molly-coddle the young Metamorphmagus. After convincing Mrs Weasley that she was now in perfect health and that she had had dinner little over a couple of hours ago.

"Love the hair," muttered a hoarse, kindly voice in her ear. "It's very you." Remus was standing behind her smiling, but it still contained a hint of sadness. Then, louder this time, he added, "You two are just in time. The train should be arriving soon."

Moody's ramblings about how Tonks' disorderly behaviour had detained them were cut off as the first students filed through the barrier, unknown to the Muggles nearby.

Mrs Weasley burst into action, taking her two children in her arms, shortly followed by Harry. Tonks and Remus took the opportunity to greet Hermione.

"How are you feeling now?" Remus asked anxiously.

"Oh, I'm fine!" The teenage girl dismissed it. "What about you? Tonks?"

The conversation went on like this, avoiding mention of Sirius, for another few minutes before Hermione was whisked away by her parents' hugs and hellos.

Harry, on the other hand, seemed quite astounded by their presence; though that didn't stop him being immensely grateful.

Arthur turned towards them. "Well- shall we do it, then?" He seemed almost nervous at the prospect of confronting these Muggles. Moony remembered the tale about how the Weasley brood had demolished the Dursley's living room vividly.

"Yeah, I reckon so, Arthur." Remus didn't have to look to know that there was a grim smile etched into the gnarled and scarred face.

Then, with a wave of grief that threatened to overwhelm him, Remus was deeply reminded of the Marauders and how they would have handled this situation with great gusto.

There were no Marauders anymore. Just him now- James was dead. Peter had betrayed them. Sirius- Sirius was now dead, leaving Moony on his own. Never since the day he had found that Sirius was innocent had he believed such a thing possible. It was only now, over a week since his departure from the world of the living, did the cold, cruel reality hit Remus with a blow.

He put it aside for a moment. There were other things to be dealt with now. What would Prongs or Padfoot have said if he had induced his son- or godson, to another summer of misery?

"I am not aware that it is any of your business what goes on in my house-" Harry's uncle was speaking. So wrapped up in his own thoughts, Remus hadn't noticed the conversation had begun.

"I expect what you're not aware of would fill several books, Dursley." Good ol' Mad-Eye could come up with something witty- a talent that had been subdued until lately. Although Alastor wouldn't admit it, many of the Order believed that he was refusing to be outwitted by a junior Auror and that age and experience were well above that!

Talk of the Devil, he thought, as Tonks opened her mouth to speak, "Anyway, that's not the point." She paused and Lupin found himself predicting the next sentence. "The point is, if we find out you've been horrible to Harry-"

Why not? He knew the exact words that she would use! "-And make no mistake, we'll hear about it," he said in that infuriatingly calm voice, that could have rivalled Dumbledore's for coolness.

Tonks threw him an utterly disarming smile.

From that moment on, the 'blackmailing' was utterly oblivious to him. It wasn't until they upped to leave that he came to his senses.

"Take care, Harry. Keep in touch." A pink head nodded her agreement.

And when Harry, Hermione and the Weasley's had all left, the three remaining Order members took off to a deserted street near King's Cross, and disappeared into thin air.

When he thought about it later, Remus was surprised that he had been concentrating enough not to splinch.

**A.N. **_Wow! How long was that! I'm sorry about the repetitiveness in this chapter, what with the slight threatening of the Dursley's being mentioned. I just had to put that bit in! So, how about a teaser from the next chapter?_

_Now on a more important note; _**SOS SOS! **_Rumour has it that this site is stopping us replying to reviews soon! Well, I'm not gonna stand for that! If anyone agrees with me, send me your email address and I can email you a petition for you to sign!_

_Please, if you have read this chapter, review! If you have me on Story or Author Alert and you are reading this... Please? I'm in a desperate attempt to beat my record of eighty reviews and I need your help to do so!_

_TTFN!_

_**Sweetdeath04**_


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